Somewhere out there: Paintings by Vietnamese artist Luu Tuyen and Malaysian artist Zaim Bin Durusalamare displayed at the Viet Nam Fine Arts Museum.

HA NOI — A new exhibition titled Destination I captures artists' desires to share their ideas and culture.

The show includes 21 paintings by five Vietnamese and two Malaysian artists, Yusof Ghani and Zaim Bin Durusalam.

It intends to create a place for artistic exchange between Vietnamese artists and their audiences and colleagues both at home and abroad, according to exhibition organiser Nguyen Tam.

Ghani is one of the most well-known Malaysian artists, who was introduced to the world through his four-part series Dance, Mask, Play and Green.

Destination I includes two new paintings from his 2011 series Force, one of which is composed of nine, 58cm by 45cm panels creating a huge image of natural colours.

"My painting is about the environment - tsunamis, earthquakes and climate change that we sometimes cannot control," said Ghani.

He came to Viet Nam many years ago but this is his first exhibition in the country.

The exhibition introduces five Vietnamese artists: Ngo Hai Yen, Nguyen Than, Vu Hoa, Ngo Van Sac and Luu Tuyen. Sac and Tuyen concern themselves with social issues in Viet Nam today, such as violent games and addiction, while the three others express their feelings about life.

Sac experiments with changing familiar materials, such as newspaper and acrylic on woodcut blocks, to heighten their visual appeal and make his stories more accessible.

Tuyen introduces his artistic itinerary with two 2009 works, Digital Times I&II. The idea came to him when he read an article on teenage crime and violence in schools, thought to be a result of online games.

The exhibition Destination I will run through April 1 at Viet Nam Fine Arts Museum, 66 Nguye Thai Hoc Street. — VNS